Virtual Reality Breathing Tool Helps Cancer Survivors Recover Better Together
Researchers developed CoBreath, a VR system that lets breast cancer survivors practice stress-relieving breathing exercises with a peer while tracking their heart rate and breathing patterns in real time. In trials, the shared experience outperformed solo use, suggesting that blending social support with digital health tools could reshape how healthcare providers address mental health recovery in cancer care.
Originaltitel: CoBreath: Designing a VR-Based Dyadic Biofeedback System to Support Breathing Exercise for Breast Cancer Survivors
Chronic stress and anxiety severely affect breast cancer survivors’ (BCSs) mental health and well-being. Peer support has been shown to enhance psychological empowerment, while biofeedback offers a promising approach to improve physiological relaxation through self-regulation. However, few studies explored combining both for BCSs. We conducted a formative study with clinicians and BCSs to identify requirements and preferences for VR biofeedback. Informed by the findings, we proposed a VR-based dyadic biofeedback system, Cobreath, which integrates breathing and heart rate variability (HRV) feedback into a calming virtual environment, allowing two users to practice breathing-focused relaxation simultaneously. Through a clinical user study with ten clinicians and a between-subjects study with 32 BCSs, we demonstrated that Cobreath’s dyadic mode improved biofeedback effectiveness and provided a better user experience compared to the individual mode. We further discuss insights and design considerations for developing dyadic VR-biofeedback applications to support the mental well-being of BCSs and potential applications.